Always, All Ways
by Arkantoz
Summary: The sudden reappearance of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed surgeon causes emotions to surface and fading memories to reappear. Is love ever enough?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Calliope, _

_You stunned me and took my life by storm. In the two months that I have known you, you have taught me more about life and love, than in the twenty years before this summer. When I signed up for this trip I never expected you. Some people would say that we were too young to know love and experience passion. Maybe they were right. But I know that what we had was real._

_I want you to know that despite our last conversation, despite all the things that I said, I still care. I still love. I still feel. _

_Know also that no matter what you will always have a place in my heart as my first true love. _

_From now, until always,_

_Arizona_

"Hey Cal! Pepperoni or – Ow! Shit. Can you get your stuff out of the way?" Christina stood comically on one foot shaking the pain out of the other foot while glaring at the now upended box.

Callie nearly burst out laughing at her roommate's pose but refrained when she saw which box had been tipped.

"Do you think there could be more dust on that box? I mean have you even looked at it in the past century?" Christina had now forgotten about her stubbed toe and instead inched towards the box trying to discern the contents of the box.

Letters and pictures continued to slide from within the box. One picture showed a much younger Callie arms around a dimpled blonde standing with four other people in front of a mess of tents. Another was of Callie kissing the same dimpled blonde, yet another was of Callie's silhouette staring into the sunset.

"_Calliope pose! It's beautiful. It's the sunset. We're in the mountains. It's all almost as pretty as you. So pose with the background!"_

"_No. Arizona, I'm not going to pose. I mean really? Me by myself in a picture? I don't think so."_

"_Come on. I'll make it worth your while!"_

"_How do you want me to pose?"_

"_Artsy-like. Stare into the distance. Yep, this is gonna be a freaking awesome picture."_

"_Are you done yet?"_

"_Can you stop whining?"_

"_I'm not whining."_

"_Uh, yes you are."_

"_No I'm not."_

"_Let's not argue. Can't we do anything without arguing?. Come on just humor me."_

"_No. We can't do anything without arguing because you always want to do exactly what I do not need to be doing."_

"_Callie,"_

"_No, don't pull that freaking card on me. I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work. I'm tired of this okay. Tired of taking care of you, of watching you, of everything being about you. I just for once let me do what I want to do goddamit. I'm your girlfriend. Not your slave. I don't answer at your beck and call. So just stop. Okay? Stop with all the requests. I'm tired of this shit."_

_Callie turned away from her girlfriend and began the long trek back to the campsite. _

"_Calliope."_

_Callie who had been prepared to walk back to the tents alone stopped but did not turn at the blonde's voice._

"_I know you're not my slave. I just, we only have two more weeks together, I want to take a picture of my girlfriend. Is that too much to ask?"_

Callie was snapped from her memory by Christina's inquisitive voice.

"Pen pal?" Christina asked as she picked up a letter.

Callie snatched the letter back from Christina. "None of your damn business."

She began shoveling the pictures and letters back into the box before slapping the lid back on with a clatter, sending a huge cloud of dust into the air.

"Whatever. So Pepperoni or Sausage and Mushroom?"

"Half and Half."

"Fine."

Callie sighed and as she carried the box into her room. She glanced at the box that now sat at her feet. In bright bold blue permanent ink the word 'Arizona' was written across the top. Callie sighed again. Arizona. That was the one thing she tried to avoid thinking about.

"_There may be times that I wish I wasn't here, but then I remember that you're making it better."_

Callie opened the lid to the box and stared down, memories flooding her brain.

"_I love you." _

"_I know."_

The smell of pine percolated from the back of her mind into her senses reminding her of the passion and the love that had stemmed from that single relationship.

"_You need help."_

"_No. I need you to leave."_

She could almost feel the blonde in her arms again; the only one to ever make her feel…that way.

"_Memories! That's all we have left!"_

"_Is that really all this is? You can honestly say that you feel nothing?"_

And as with all relationships, then came the pain, the leaving, the barbed words that ripped their souls apart.

"_Fine. Leave."_

"_Don't expect to hear from me."_

Callie inhaled deeply, closing her eyes tightly to keep the tears at bay.

A summer romance. That's all it had been. A volatile relationship between two people who were too headstrong, too confident, and too passionate for each other. Two teenagers in love. That's all it had been.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Oh shit, sorry I'm just, sor…" Charts and papers flew everywhere. Then, their eyes met. As blue eyes stared into brown ones the world around them ceased to exist. Even after years apart Callie still felt as though the blue-eyed beauty could read straight into her soul.

"Arizona," She sighed. Slowly she reached out her hand as if to cup the blonde's cheek, but pulled away, only grazing the fair skinned beauty. It seemed unreal that of all the places and hospitals in the world, that Arizona would end up at Seattle Grace.

"Arizona…" Callie quickly dropped her hand from near Arizona's face and picked up the dropped charts. Without another word or even glance, Callie hurried away making it halfway down the hall before Arizona had time to react. Callie could hear her name being called, but instead pushed past the inquisitive looks of the nurses and into a supply closet.

"Crap." She muttered as she pressed her back to the cold steel of the supply closet shelf.

"_So Callie, is that short for something?" A blonde with sapphire eyes and a sparkling attitude to match held her hand out to Callie. "I'm Arizona."_

"_Do you greet all strangers like that?"_

"_Only the beautiful ones who deserve it." Arizona grinned, dropping Callie a wink and a glimpse of her dimples. "So who is your wilderness expert, Callie?"_

"_Uhm, Taft?"_

"_Wow! Yay! Me too! Awesome!"_

_Never in her life had Callie heard so many variations of energetic bliss conveyed on someone's voice. Arizona had just changed that. And for some reason Callie wasn't put off by the blonde's over-excitement. Instead, Callie was busy, eyes glazed over, staring at Arizona. The golden hair, the ocean blue eyes, the dimples, the freaking hot body: it was enough to make anyone swoon. _

_Callie tore her eyes away, startled by the sound of a whistle._

"_Hey guys! Welcome to the Outdoor Adventures! For the next two months you're going to be spending time with your groups, by yourselves in the wilderness. That's why this week is essential! Pay attention. We will tell you all you need to know to survive alone in the backcountry. But first…Chow Time!" The guide ran to the dinner bell, ringing it as loud as possible. _

_The crowd quickly separated Arizona and Callie, leaving Callie to lament the fact that the blonde had disappeared. Callie was consoled only by the idea that she would be able to spend the next two months in the wilderness getting to know the blue-eyed beauty._

Callie had heard it all: that it was better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all or that in order to feel the joys of love, one also had to experience the pain associated with it. It was all bullshit. Callie didn't want to feel anything at all. Because she knew that if she let her emotions get ahead of her again that there would once again be a train wreck and Callie wasn't sure if she could handle another heartbreak.

"So the tables have turned." Lost in her thoughts Callie had failed to notice that Arizona had not only followed her, but was now standing beautiful as ever in front of Callie. "I ran away from you last time…you ran away from me this time. It's been awhile Calliope."

Arizona's eyes still held that spark, that glimmer, that made Callie's heart pound against her rib cage and reawakened the butterflies in her stomach.

"No. No. You do not get to fucking do this. To come here after – what – fifteen years and invade my life like this? I got over you Arizona, I got a new life, I moved on. Don't, do not, try to pull me back into your arms. Because if I've learned anything since the last time I saw you it's not to trust….especially not you." Callie closed her eyes as if shutting her eyelids tightly would make Arizona disappear.

"Callie," Arizona started in that pleading voice, that tone that she had used so often. Callie cut her off with a swift kiss, pressing their lips together. She moved her hand, first to Arizona's cheek then dropped her hands to Arizona's waist. Then as suddenly as their lips had been connected, Callie moved away tearing their lips apart.

"Do you see why I need you to go away? Because every time, every time, you look at me like that, you say my name like that, every time I see you, I just want to do…that. And that Arizona will not get us anywhere. You make me crazy. You make me forget all the pain, but only for a moment, because then I remember all the things that you said, all the things that I said, and I remember exactly why we can't be together." Callie took a deep breath before continuing. "If only love were enough… but love is never enough…"

Callie stared into those blue eyes, the ones that still captured her heart, the ones that had always made her feel safe.

"Callie. Calliope. I…I didn't come here to ruin your life, to make your job harder, to interrupt…anything. I came here for a job. That's it. And I can't do that job if you're going to run away, then kiss me, then give me speeches about how we can't get together. I am not the same person you fell in love with and you aren't the same person I fell in love with. We've changed Callie. You can't just….kiss me like that and then tell me to go away. That's not going to work. Not for either of us." Arizona sighed and turned away, but turned back towards Callie looked into her eyes and said, "We aren't crazy teens anymore Callie, we're both adults, co-workers now. And the immaturity of ignoring isn't going to make me go away, not this time Callie."

Arizona took one last look back at Callie before dropping her gaze, turning her head and leaving the supply closet. It wasn't until she heard the click of the door closing that Callie allowed herself to breathe. Arizona Robbins. The Arizona Robbins: her newest co-worker. How the hell was Callie supposed to concentrate now?

"_I'll call you."_

"_You don't call."_

"_Write you then."_

"_We're not going to keep in touch."_

Callie dropped her head, touching her chin to her chest.

"_Why are you here?"_

"_Your brother died, you need help."_

"_No. I need you to leave."_

Callie pressed her hands to her face, covering her eyes as though it would make the memories disappear.

"You're making this harder than it has to be."

"How? By running away? I'm trying to save us both some heartache."

The tears that Callie had kept at bay all those years ago flowed freely down her cheeks.

"_You know eternity?"_

"_What?"_

"_I'm going to love you longer than eternity, beyond the end, further than the end of time."_

Whoever said that loving and losing was better than not at all was full of shit. Because if this is how love could feel, who would ever want to fall in love?

**A/N: I'm not too sure about this chapter or the flashbacks. But, your reviews inspired me to write. So I wrote. I promise a happy ending. But until then….**

**Thanks for reading. Hope you guys enjoyed it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The next couple of chapters are going to be all flashback to explain the entire story. So even though I'm not putting it in italics, just know that it is a flashback and isn't present day. For timeline purposes, in the past, Callie and Arizona are 18 and 20 years old, in the present they are 33 and 35 respectively.**

**Chapter 3**

It had been a week since Callie had met Arizona. Since that day, their interactions had been mostly limited to awkward hellos and short exchanges of pleasantries. If Callie was honest with herself, she had been avoiding the blonde, hoping somehow that her feelings would disappear. She knew it was ridiculous, but for some reason Callie was infatuated. Her heart sped up whenever those blue eyes locked on to hers, her head turned at the sound of that voice, and her excitement spiked whenever those blonde curls were anywhere near her. Yet, Callie couldn't seem to articulate exactly why she was so attracted to the blonde. After all, it had been one conversation, but all it had taken was that one conversation for Callie to feel alive again.

"I'm Mark." A tall dirty blonde guy held out his hand to Callie, while looking up and down her body appreciatively.

"And I'm not going to screw you."

"Was I asking you to?"

"No, but your eyes were."

"Can't a gentleman say hello to a pretty girl? Get to know her name maybe?"

"If it's a name you're fishing for Mark, my name's Callie."

"See now that wasn't so hard was it?" Mark studied Callie for a couple of seconds before continuing, "It's not nice to stare at people, even if they are as hot as blondie over there."

"I wasn't staring." Callie retorted, her gaze never leaving Arizona.

"No, I was wrong. You're drooling. And you've been doing it all week. She's probably creeped out."

Callie nodded vaguely at whatever Mark was jabbering on about. Why couldn't she admire a hot girl? Oh, that's right, not all hot girls appreciate being checked out by other girls. Not all hot girls were gay. In fact, now that Callie thought about it, why would Arizona be gay? All the hottest ones were straight. Suddenly Arizona got up from where she was sitting and began walking towards Callie and Mark. Callie quickly averted her eyes to avoid being caught gawking.

"Callie."

"Hey Arizona."

"Can we talk?" Arizona's eyes flicked over to Mark's form. "In private?"

"Yeah, sure…" Callie glanced back at Mark semi-apologetically before allowing herself to be dragged away by Arizona.

"Can you stop staring at me like that? It's flattering, yes. But what you may not realize Callie, is that you're leading me on. I'm gay and when you, a hot straight girl, start staring at me like you're undressing me constantly, it makes me want to do crazy things to you. And those feelings…well it'd be better for both of us if I just repressed them. So you need to stop. Right now. Or – "

Arizona's words were cut off when Callie stepped forward, closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to Arizona's. Callie's hands snaked around finding their resting place on Arizona's hips and Arizona began threading her fingers through Callie's hair. Then Arizona placed her hand on Callie's shoulder, pushing their lips apart again. Foreheads resting against each other's they stayed standing, bodies pressed together, until their breathing had evened out.

"What is this?" Arizona asked, her eyes looking up into Callie's deep brown ones.

"Whatever we want it to be." Callie answered softly, stroking Arizona's hair.

Arizona placed a chaste kiss on Callie's cheek, before threading her fingers through Callie's fingers.

"You know Callie, I'd like a girl to ask me on a date before she kisses me senseless." Arizona grinned a glint in her eye.

"Well then, Arizona Robbins, will you go on a date with me?" Callie laughed pulling Arizona close to her.

"I don't know, Callie, I'm pretty busy with this whole wilderness thing…"

It had been two weeks. Two incredibly blissful and wonderful weeks. After being sent off into the wilderness by their guides, the groups had begun the process of getting to know each other. Callie learned that the red-head Addison had come to escape her parents and their lies, Mark had come to 'meet chicks', the silent one Alex had come to escape the horrors of his home, and Teddy had come just as a way to have fun.

Addison and Mark provided the most entertainment with their near constant bickering and playful teasing. Mark had teased Addison for a full week about her decision to bring Prada pumps on the trip and had only stopped when Addison had discovered multiple grey patches peppering his blonde hair. Both Teddy and Alex were more reserved, keeping mostly to themselves. Still, they did not isolate themselves from the group. They were merely bystanders rather than active participants.

There was something about nature that just seemed to bring out the friendliest in people. Or maybe it was the idea that they would all be together for the next month (already nearly a month had passed) and that there was no escape. It would be quite awkward to piss off the people you had to live, sleep, and eat with 24 hours every day.

Callie felt thin arms wrap around her waist from behind and a head nestle into the shallow depression between her shoulder blades.

"Hey Callie."

"Hey yourself."

"Whatcha doing?"

"Thinking. About you." Callie could feel Arizona shifting uncomfortably behind her and heard Arizona sigh. "I don't know anything about you."

"What do you want to know about me?"

"Anything. Everything."

"I'm a marine brat, I was raised on military bases all over the world. I have had a couple of girlfriends. I don't know what love is. I study biochemisty at Stanford. My favorite food is pizza because it's delivered. I can't cook because I won't learn how. And I don't usually share information about myself, but since my girlfriend asked me to, I guess I will." There was a pregnant pause as both women processed Arizona's use of the word 'girlfriend'.

"Shit. I'm sorry. I assumed. I should never assume." Arizona had now completely disengaged herself from Callie and was moving quickly back to the campsite. She was still muttering under her breath berating herself when Callie sidled up to her.

"I like the sound of girlfriend."

"Callie…"

"No, I'm serious Arizona. I want this to be serious. I want to be your girlfriend."

"Callie, you're not obligated to say that just because I was stupid and blurted it out."

"Ari. Listen to me. I want to be a couple. I want to care about you: to be your girlfriend. I really like you."

Arizona stopped, turned to Callie and kissed her.

"I really like you too."

Callie smiled as she looped her arms around Arizona's, erm, her girlfriend's waist.

"Stop it Mark!" Addie squealed as Mark chased her around the fire trying to grab her sides and tickle her.

"Stop what Addie?" Mark retorted, mocking her.

"Ah, young love." Teddy deadpanned grinning at Arizona and Alex.

"You're just jealous Teddy." Addie laughed as she attempted to use Alex as a human shield.

Teddy turned to Arizona who was watching Callie clean dishes on the other side of the campsite.

"You really like her don't you?" Arizona nodded, continuing to stare at Callie. "What happens after you go back to civilization?"

Arizona tore her eyes from Callie's form to look at Teddy. "I don't know. We haven't talked about it. She keeps seeming like she wants to bring it up but I stop her every time."

"Why?"

"It's comfortable right now. We're doing good. We're having fun. And bringing serious stuff into a summer fling isn't really on the top of my to-do list Teddy."

"You sure that this is only a summer fling Arizona? Cause the way you talk about her? That's not how summer flings talk about each other." With that Teddy got up leaving Arizona to ponder her relationship.

Soon the moon had risen, illuminating the deep navy sky. The antics had ceased long ago and now they sat, huddled around one side of the fire watching the flames rise and flicker.

"It's nine o-clock on a Saturday…" Callie began.

"The regular crowd shuffles in…" Arizona and Teddy joined in.

"There's an old man sitting next to me…" Mark and Addison continued.

"Makin' love to his tonic and gin…" Alex finished.

Soon they were all swaying and singing together, everything from Billy Joel to Death Cab for Cutie. Their arms wrapped around each other, they sang and joked and laughed together until the fire sputtered out.

**A/N2: My longest chapter yet! Reviews are greatly appreciated. Ideas for plot are also greatly appreciated (though I have a general idea where this story is going, but if there is a scene or something you want to see, feel free to suggest).**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-A.R.K.-**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Just re-uploaded with slight revisions.**

**Chapter 4**

"Is it possible to fall in love after a month and a half?" Callie was perched on a rock overlooking the lake they had been hiking around for the past three days. "I mean she's got me captivated Mark. I don't know what love feels like. But I think this might be it."

"Torres, I've never been in love before. I've never had a girlfriend for more than three weeks. Addie is the closest that I've come to having a real human relationship in my entire life. And shit. I mean I like Addie and all, but love is a bit presumptuous."

"I don't know Mark. She's perfect. She's it."

"What? The one?" When Callie didn't respond, Mark continued, "Because as much as this may feel right and she seems perfect, even if you two are in love and the feeling is mutual, Cal, summer flings don't often last. Especially not when you live across the country. Just think about it Callie."

"I love her Mark, and that scares me. I mean, I'm impulsive. I don't think. I just do. Thinking about the future…that's not my thing."

"Maybe it's time to grow up Cal. Face the facts, accept the inevitable, say what you want to say, all that mature stuff."

"Who are you and what have you done with Mark Sloan?" Callie laughed.

"I'm serious Cal, I'm totally serious. Share your feelings."

"I know. But it's easier said than done."

Callie headed into her tent. She had been successfully avoiding talking to Arizona by talking to Mark most of the days. It seemed that with the impending end of the trip, both she and Arizona had become more anxious. And rather than confront those feelings, Callie had chosen to avoid Arizona and talk to Mark. She began returning to her tent only when she knew Arizona was asleep, she had been hiking with Mark. But now it was time to face the end of the summer and the heartache that was sure to come.

Callie stepped into the tent and sighed, "What happens after the summer?"

Arizona looked up, blue eyes meeting brown, and frowned slightly, "Can't we just enjoy our time here together?"

"No! We've put off this conversation for weeks. It's time to talk Arizona."

"Where is this coming from Calliope?"

"I was talking to Mark earlier…"

"Oh, royal, talking to Mark. Because he's obviously the most mature person around. You should definitely be taking life advice from him."

"What the hell Arizona? He's my friend. He's your friend too. I thought that you and he got along fine."

"We did, but after my girlfriend decides on a whim to spend more time with him in the last couple of weeks than ever before, I think I'm allowed to have a beef with him."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You've been hanging out with Mark more than you've been hanging out with me. You talk with him while you hike, you go off with him when we set up camp, you sit next to him and chat at the fire, you spend most evenings talking to him. Am I not allowed to think that there's something going on?"

"Alright fine, you've got me! I've been avoiding talking to you, I didn't want this to happen. I didn't want to have this fight. I didn't want to have this conversation. But you know what? Mark, the best friend that you hate so much? He's the one that's telling me to grow up. He's the one that convinced me to get the gall to stop avoiding and talk to you. But instead, we're fighting."

"So…"

"So what? Just answer my question. What's going to happen to us in two weeks?"

"I don't know what happens after this Callie. This has never happened to me. I've never felt like this. When I kiss you I see fireworks. And it scares me. So me not communicating? That's because I have no idea where to start. I have no freaking clue what we're doing and it scares me. I'm scared. Have I talked enough for you?" Arizona ran a hand through her blonde lock as she pushed the tent flap open with her other hand. She began walking down to the lake, leaving the Callie confused and bewildered standing in her wake.

Teddy walked down to Arizona and sat on the rock next to her.

"Go away I don't want to talk."

"I'm not Callie."

"Right."

"You know, I'm no relationship expert but I'd say it's not cool to go on a rant then leave your girlfriend just standing there."

"Teddy…"

"You're going to listen to me. You've done enough talking today." Taking her silence as agreement Teddy continued. "I had a summer fling once. And as much as I tried to convince myself it was only a summer fling, the feelings I felt were deeper. I had fallen in love with this guy. We stayed in touch. Then one day I went to visit him. He had a girlfriend. I was heartbroken. I thought I loved him."

Teddy sighed, "That's why you need to clear up your feelings now. Because if you don't, at the end of the summer you'll end up with nothing but a broken heart and lots of anger."

"I love her Teddy. I've never felt like this before. I can't even describe it. She makes me feel happier than I have ever felt before."

"So tell her that."

"I don't know."

"She has to know. This is something too important to omit. You freaking love her. You should want to shout that from the rooftops! So what if you're the first to say it? So? Make your feelings known, put your heart out there. Be a little more impulsive for once. Just bite the bullet, upset the equilibrium, I don't know, pop the bubble. The reward outweighs the cost, basic econ!"

"You're a good friend Teddy."

"I know."

Arizona sighed as she re-entered the tent, "I'm sorry I snapped at you and criticized your relationship with Mark, and criticized Mark."

"I'm sorry I pushed you to talk. I'm sorry I've been spending so much time with Mark. I'm sorry in general."

"You were right. We need to talk." Arizona raised her eyes to meet Callie's before continuing, "So what happens when we go back to the real world Calliope? What happens when you're in Miami and I'm in California?"

"We'll figure something out."

"I don't believe in long distance relationships."

"We'll figure something out." Callie sighed and looked at Arizona, "You know, this may possibly be the worst time to say this, but, well I have a confession."

Arizona said nothing instead nodded to Callie giving her permission to continue.

"Arizona, I love you."

Arizona looked at Callie with a mixture of surprise and elation on her face. Then in a flash Arizona shot across the tent pressing her lips urgently against Callie's whilst pinning the Latina to the floppy tent wall. Arizona's tongue was dueling with Callie's, Arizona's hands tangling themselves in the long brown hair. Callie moaned in protest as Arizona pulled away, looking up at the blond curiously wondering what had made her pull away.

"I know." Arizona leaned down, stopping only when her lips where mere millimeters from Callie's, "I love you too."

Arizona let Callie's lips meet hers. Using one hand to push Callie down, Arizona placed her thigh between Callie's legs. By now, both women were out of breath. Callie looked into Arizona's inquisitive eyes and nodded. Slowly, they began undressing each other. Shirts, shoes, pants, and panties were soon flying around the tent. Then, in a tangle of arms, lips, hair, and legs, they were both overcome with a wave of bliss.

They lie there for many hours afterwards, hugged together for warmth just enjoying each other's company, knowing full well that they would be parting ways all too soon.

**A/N: It's a perfect three pages in word (minus the author's note). If you couldn't tell, we are still in flashback mode. Though I'll be venturing back to the present in the next chapter. I chickened out on writing a full sex scene, I know. Criticisms and comments are welcome and actually enjoyed. **

**That was possibly the choppiest author's note that I've ever written. **

**Thanks for reading (all of you putting this story on alert and all of you reviewing makes my day)! Review please!**

**-A.R.K.-**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I lied last chapter when I said we were going back to the present time…There are still some things that need to be talked about, revealed, uncovered, before I go back to present time, and randomly add in memories and flashbacks, for the sake of making the story work. In other words, so that the flashbacks don't seem 'cooked up' for one specific purpose, you're going to get the back story in full. Also I apologize for not updating sooner, I had an idea that this would be done on Friday and uploaded Friday night, but clearly that didn't happen. But it's here now, so enjoy.**

**Chapter 5**

"Who says being apart is the only option?" Callie murmured quietly against Arizona's naked back as she rubbed slow circles on the blonde's neck.

"Calliope, we've been over this. In fact we were just discussing it before we, 'made up' again."

"I know, but I'd like to think that there's another option."

"Callie. We've been fighting about this for weeks on end, can we just not."

"What, don't you want to fight for this relationship?"

"This is exactly what I mean. You always turn it into a fight."

"Me? I turn it into a fight? Excuse me for caring."

"I care. I love you Callie. How many times do I need to say it?"

"Saying it is one thing Arizona, meaning it is another. You love me but you don't want to be with me. That's great. How romantic."

"It's not that I don't want to be with you it's more a matter of you have your own life and I don't want you messing that up on account of me."

"Hey, guess what when people love each other they make sacrifices. I'm willing to sacrifice my life for you, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that we are young. We have time. We have months, years to experience life. I don't want you to end up loathing me for changing that experience for you. I don't want to hate you for changing that experience for me. I'd rather you remember why you love me, instead of loathing me for the rest of your life. I want pleasant memories Calliope, not memories of us fighting every two seconds."

"Why can't you freaking commit to me? Is it too much for you? Too much to handle?"

"I'll see you at breakfast." Arizona had pulled her bra and shirt rather haphazardly before tripping out of the tent and crawling to Teddy's.

"I don't know what to do."

"Talk to her. Communicate. Just hear her out."

"I've tried, but every single time she turns it into a yelling match, then either she or I storm off and we're even worse off than we were before."

"Arizona…"

"I can't do this. I love her too much to do this. Sometimes you just have to let them go right? Even if you love them? What I'm doing isn't crazy? Telling her to go to Florida and enjoy herself while I'm in California isn't crazy, right? Because I love her, I don't know if I can get over that. Am I crazy? Should I beg her to come with me?"

"Arizona, are you sure this is the real deal? That this is love not just lust? Because if you're not sure? Then it does no one any good if either of you upend your life for someone who isn't 'the one'."

"I love her, Teddy. I know I love her. Why does this have to be so goddamn hard?"

"If love were easy there wouldn't be any good movies."

"True that. True that."

"What else am I supposed to do Mark?"

"We avoid, we fight, we have sex, we fight, we make up, we fight…"

"Torres! I get the point. You guys are having trouble communicating."

"No, we're having trouble communicating at low volumes. We're great have having screaming matches!"

"Hey, it's not nice to yell at the friend who's helping you."

"Who says you're any help at all?"

"I'm hurt."

"You were part of the problem."

"You already told me about Blondie's jealousy and your stupidity."

"Right."

"So Talk to me Torres, why aren't you guys getting along"

"We don't agree about what should happen after the summer."

"What does she say, and what do you say?"

"She thinks we should break up. I think we should try. I mean I could move to California. I don't know."

"Cal, I know it's gonna sound heartless and bad right now, but you're gonna thank me in ten years. She's right. It's probably best for you to have a clean break. To move on. To be free to enjoy college. You have the rest of your life ahead of you. How can you be sure she's the one for you in ten or twenty years?"

"You're no help Mark. No help at all. You're supposed to be on my side not hers." Callie left the tent in a huff, bumping into Arizona who was escaping Teddy's tent.

"I'm sorry for instigating the fight." Callie pursed her lips.

"I'm sorry for just leaving. I love you."

"I know."

Callie's lips were hungrily pressed to Arizona's, her tongue deep into Arizona's mouth. The friction between their mouths caused both women to groan in pleasure. Callie pulled Arizona's hips to hers grinding their fronts together as Arizona threaded one hand in Callie's hair and the other massaging the nape of Callie's neck. Arizona pulled away panting.

"We should take this inside."

"You're right."

And the two women tumbled back into the tent which, unfortunately for it, had seen too much already.

"We fight then we make up." Arizona lazily playing with the Latina's long brown hair.

"Isn't that how it's supposed to work." Callie looked amusedly down at the blonde.

"Excuse me. We have blowout screaming matches, then we have make up sex."

"I still don't see the problem." Callie laughed.

"The problem is that we never talk about what we fought about."

"We suck at talking."

"That we do." Arizona grinned up at her lover. "At some point we have to talk to figure things out Calliope."

"I love you. What else matters?"

"Unfortunately, a lot else matters. There's more to the world than this."

"Can we just be happy for two seconds?"

"Well I made you very happy for about ten minutes thirty seconds ago."

"Arizona. Stop messing around." Callie laughed at the faux innocent look on her girlfriend's face.

"I'm not messing around. I'm serious."

"You're a dork."

"That's not a nice thing to call the girl that just gave you three orgasms in a row."

"Are you sure I wasn't faking?"

"I'm sure, I had my hand inside you, I can tell when you're having an orgasm. We've had enough practice."

"Hearing you talk about all this is getting me riled up again."

"Round Four?"

"Round Four."

Callie was standing at the edge of the camp ground savoring the smell of nature and the beauty of the darkness when she heard a rustle behind her.

"Calliope." Callie felt fingers interlacing with her own before a dark form became illuminated in front of her.

"Arizona." Callie could see that the blonde's bright blue eyes were glassy, "Arizona,"

"No. You have to let me go first. Because if I don't say this then I'm never going to say it."

"Okay."

"I know we fought earlier. And this conversation and this speech that I'm about to give and all the things that I'm about to say probably isn't conducive to helping us figure anything out because I was planning to say all these things before we started fighting all the time and making up all the time, but life happens right…"

"Ari, you're rambling."

"Right." Arizona moved closer to Callie bringing her lips to Callie's in a soft, tender kiss, pulling away before things got too heated. The blonde kept her hand on the back of Callie's neck keeping their foreheads touching.

"Calliope, you know eternity? You know how they say it's forever, and that it goes on and on until the nonexistent end?"

"What?"

"I'm going to love you longer than eternity, beyond infinity, further than the end of time. Sometimes, we have to sacrifice things. We have to give up things because it's our destiny. There's a saying that says that if you truly love them enough, you will let them go, let them be free."

"Arizona don't do this, there's no going back after this."

Arizona breathed deeply, closing her eyes before continuing, "I love you enough to let you go Callie. I'm not going to be the reason you can't achieve your dreams. I can't be the blame. I'm setting you free."

Arizona brought her tear stained face close to Callie's but Callie pulled away as though she had been burned. "Seriously Arizona? You're breaking up with me? Are you SERIOUS? Goddamn it. I should have seen this coming a mile away. So that's it. What do we have left Arizona? Is there no more us? What's freaking left of us?"

"Calliope…"

"No. Answer the question. What do we have left? Are we even friends? Do I contact you at Christmas? I need to know what kind of relationship we have so I know how to act."

"Memories! Memories, Callie! That's all we have left!"

"What you don't feel anything? Can you honestly say that you don't feel anything with this break up?"

"Callie. I lov-"

"Save it. You love me enough to let me go? That's bullshit and you know it. If you loved me Arizona, you wouldn't be doing this to me."

"The timing sucked." Arizona slipped her hand from Callie's and began walking up to the campfire where the others were sleeping under the stars.

"The timing sucked? Really? You're just going to walk away? Well, fine! Leave! And don't expect to hear from me ever again!" Callie watched as Arizona continued to walk away, seemingly unfazed by Callie's words. The tears came slowly, but increased as the initial shock wore off.

"Goddamn it."

When the buses to take them back into town rumbled into the camp ground no one was talking. In fact, no one had spoken a word to anyone else since the breakup. It seemed as though the others were unsure of who's side they should be on and didn't really want to have to choose sides. By the attitudes of Mark and Teddy you could tell that they would have hoped that their friends would have parted amicably; however, that wasn't the case and now no one knew how to act.

Silently they piled onto the bus, each lost in their own thoughts. The tension in the air was palpable. There was no cheer, no last minute bonding sessions, no promises to keep in touch. Instead the three hour bus ride back to town was empty, devoid of any noise.

Back at town, Arizona was the first to go. She jumped into her dad's Jeep with only a brief hug to Teddy then left without so much as a backwards glance. Callie kept her eyes trained on the blonde the entire time. Memorizing her face, her body, her eyes. Callie sighed inwardly, it could be the last time she ever saw Arizona and she wasn't doing anything about it. She was letting her go. They were letting each other go.

**A/N 2: Sadness. Angst. Oh yes. Reviews are greatly appreciated, they make me smile like a fool! And they make me want to write. So drop me a note and let me know what you think.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Just got inspired. Wasn't the chapter I was supposed to write, hence the title Interlude but I should have the real chapter six up by next week ish.**

**Interlude**

There was a box in the middle of the floor.

She had gotten a letter. It had remained unopened and sealed, sitting in the top drawer of her desk. She didn't really want to open it because she knew it would make the feelings worse. Mostly it would just intensify the anger. But now that phase of her life was over. She was going to move on, party a lot, and enjoy rest of her first semester of college.

So that's why the box sat in the middle of the floor. Rather than play the part of the angry ex, Callie had opted to instead push the memories aside. Callie was putting all the memories, the little joy that had come from the relationship and mostly the heartache all into a box. Arizona would now only reside in the recesses of her memories and in the box.

Life likes to throw a couple curve balls every once in a while. It likes to be unpredictable and weird. If life was supposed to happen the way people wanted, Callie would never have gotten the phone call.

"Hey. I don't see you. I'm near baggage claim…Oh, Wait. Yeah. I see you." Callie dropped the phone into her purse before enveloping Teddy into a tight bear hug. "So what's up? What's the emergency?"

Teddy grimaced stuffing her hands into her pockets and avoiding eye contact, "I don't know how much you guys actually talked about stuff, like family stuff. So I don't know if you knew this but her brother, Daniel Jr., was in the Marines. He got killed over there. The funeral is tomorrow. She needs…well I didn't want to have to call you but I wasn't sure what else I could do with her being in the state that she's in. She needs someone to support her. Or rather she needs you to support her."

Callie breathed deeply and nodded, "Okay. Let's go do this."

Callie entered the Robbins household cautiously and quietly. The walls were adorned with patriotic symbols and pictures of a happy family.

"You must be the famous Callie Torres." A man in uniform grinned at Callie with sadness lining his face.

He stuck his hand out for her to shake. "I'm Daniel Sr., Arizona's father. I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances. She's upstairs in the first door on your right."

"Right. Nice to meet you sir. Thanks." Callie shut her eyes tightly preparing herself mentally. She walked up the stairs and lightly tapped on the first door on her right.

"Come in."

"Arizona." The blonde's name had barely left her lips when Callie felt Arizona jump into her arms and hug her as tightly as possible. They stayed like that for a while, Arizona's arms wrapped around Callie's neck, Callie's head buried in Arizona's hair. Slowly they pulled away from each other.

"I missed that. The awesome hugs, I mean." Arizona professed looking up at those sweet chocolate brown eyes.

"I missed your shampoo." Callie admitted quietly, breaking the intensely awkward staring contest.

Both women knew the meaning of the other's words, but neither acknowledged it.

"Why are you here?" Arizona whispered staring intently at the ground.

"Your brother died. You need help." Callie murmured studying the blue eyes, those blue eyes.

"I need you to leave. But not because I'm mad that you're here or anything. It's just that it's been a long day. And I need to clear my head before I say some stupid things and do some stupider things. But I'll see you tomorrow? At the service?"

"Yeah. You sure you're going to be okay?"

"I'm going to just get some sleep. I'll be fine."

Callie placed a chaste tender kiss on Arizona's forehead before backing away and quietly closing the door behind her. So that had been better than expected. Still it wasn't easy to face Arizona, especially not under the circumstances.

For some reason Arizona had a crazy idea that she would lose it if she went to Danny's funeral and had initially refused to go. Eventually with a lot of coaxing by Teddy and some last minute convincing by Callie, Arizona emerged in all black, with blood shot red eyes, but ready to go.

At the church, Callie could feel Arizona sitting stoicly next to her. She seemed to be holding it all in and doing a fine job until the last lines of the eulogy. Arizona bolted for the door. Callie followed her to the outside of the church where she found a teary-eyed Arizona.

"I guess it didn't really hit me hard until now you know? That's why I didn't want to come. It makes it too real for me. There were a lot of times in there listening to my father give my brother's eulogy that I didn't want to be there. But then I remembered that you were there to make it better. But only for the moment. Because as soon as this is over we go back to our lives. We leave."

"Arizona, you're making this harder than it has to be."

"How? By acknowledging the fact that by the end of the day we will both be off to different places on different planes? I'm sorry. I'll stop. I just, you make me crazy. You make me say weird things and believe that anything is possible. And this is possibly the worst time for me to be saying this for the first time."

They sat there for a while content in each other's company. Their arms just barely touching their eyes unfocused on the ground in front of them.

"Thank you for everything Calliope. I mean it. Thank you."

"Arizona, no matter what I'll always be willing to be here for you especially when shit happens. But you're right. This…this isn't going to work." Callie stared at Arizona's melancholy features with a mixture of longing, desire, and love. "I'll call you."

"Calliope, you don't call."

"Write you then."

"We're not going to keep in touch are we?"

"No. No we're not." As the two women stood to hug each other Arizona felt Callie slip something into her hand but before she could question it, Callie was whispering into her ear.

"Open it on the plane."

Then with a heavy heart and wet eyes that had become all too familiar over the course of their short summer romance, Callie walked to her car. She waved on final time to a stoic Arizona, before starting the engine to her car. Callie stared at the blonde's silhouette in the rearview mirror until she became but a speck in the past.

_If it's meant to be, then it will happen._

_Until then,_

_Calliope_

**A/N 2: Is the angst becoming unbearable? Well it is for me to write. Anyway this interlude was supposed to be just that. A short 500 word chapter that would serve its purpose as a single memory. As you can see the chapter is double what it was meant to be. Ah well. Who's gonna complain? R&R and I'll love you forever and ever. **

**-A.R.K.-**


	7. Chapter 7 Revised

**A/N: So I made some revisions to this. Mainly to the fight scene when everyone went wacky and OOC. The real Chapter 8 should be up by tomorrow at the latest. I also just re-read this first section of this chapter where I talk about love. Let me just say I hate how powerful an entity love is. Thanks for reading!**

There was just the light of the glowing embers falling from a lit cigarette. Other than that, the normally vibrant city seemed black with the night.

There were no twinkling lights in the distance, no bending headlights, no flashing neon signs. It was dark. Then again on this edge of the city there was nothing beyond the cigarette, nothing but water.

The woman holding the cigarette wasn't even really smoking: it was more of a comfort thing. It reminded her of better times, of times where she didn't see the black darkness of the night and the white pureness of the light.

It reminded her of what color used to be, what life used to mean to her. And now, sitting on the docks perched at the edge of an icy cold body of water, she was trying desperately to recapture those feelings.

Love is a funny thing: it's a virus, infecting the mind, changing behavior, changing habits. Yet, no one can really truly experience life without love. Life without love is like going to the symphony but not being able to hear the sounds.

Sure, the drama and the highs and lows of the music will surround you, and you will know when to feel happy or sad, but that's not the same as experiencing it. From the seedlings of love, body begins betrays itself. The heart pumps wildly, the hands tremble, and the tongue ceases to work.

Soon it's not just a crush, it's an infatuation, an obsession, a way of life, and the only way that life can be lived. And here was this blonde woman, holding a cigarette, without love.

Arizona wondered how it got to be like this. How she went from feeling like she had it all to feeling like she had nothing. The cigarette was evidence of that. It was just another way for her to cling desperately to the small fabric of sanity that she had left. And it wasn't doing any good to try.

Who the hell was she kidding? Callie was it for her. Callie had always been it for her. There was never any question about that. So why weren't they together. Oh yeah. That.

Still there were words clanging around Arizona's mind. _If it's meant to be, then it will happen._ But words were just words weren't they? Unless there's a meaning, a person behind the words, the words will mean nothing. Could all the years and the heartache be erased by the same person who caused it all in the first place?

"You're late."

"Good morning Dr. Torres."

"It's unprofessional to be late to work you know."

"Stop concentrating on me and do your own damn work."

"I'm a grown woman. I'll do what I want to do. You can't boss me around anymore."

"What the hell is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem."

"Sure. Just keep it all inside Dr. Torres. You haven't changed one bit."

Callie just stared at Arizona's retreating figure. She was supposed have had the upper hand in that conversation. She was supposed to be making Arizona feel all the pain that she'd felt and now continued to feel.

Somehow in every encounter with the blonde she ended up feeling exactly like her small scared teenaged self. Sure, Callie felt petty and somewhat ridiculous every time she directed a snippy comment towards Arizona, but truth be told, Callie was didn't know how to operate around the blonde.

Every time she was around Arizona she wanted to kiss her, hold her, and never let her go. So, Callie over compensated and instead reacted with the reaction that was most opposite of the one she was actually feeling.

Callie walked into the cafeteria to see a large crowd had formed around a specific table. The Latina pushed her way towards the front as she heard the raised and irate voices of Arizona and Mark.

The two had never really hit it off; they both just barely tolerated each other. Maybe it was their protective instincts for their respective best friends (Teddy and Callie), but they just didn't really seem to gel.

"I'm overreacting? Your friend is the one that keeps questioning my professionalism and greats me every day with a cup full of 'I hate Arizona' juice. I mean really. I feel like I'm back in pre-school around her, and that's coming from a person that works with kids all day."

"As I recall you were her friend too. Her good friend. But you screwed that up."

"You know what Mark? We both left each other. Okay? We're even on that front."

"I wouldn't call heartbreak even. Robbins."

"She's not the only one hurting you know."

"Really? Cause you've got a funny way of showing it."

"You know what–" Arizona leapt at Mark and Callie barely had enough time to wrap two strong arms around the blonde's midsection. The blonde struggled in her captor's arms until she realized that it was, the Latina.

Arizona had done a complete one-eighty within Callie's arms and they had now ended up face to face. The brunette suddenly became aware of how close their faces were. She could feel the moisture from the blonde's warm breath on her face.

For a moment Callie paused. Arizona took that opportunity to escape from her arms sprinting towards Mark, until Christina pins the blonde to the wall with an arm lock.

Callie isn't even aware that she's yelling in Spanish at Christina and Arizona, until she switches back to English a couple sentences later.

"What is your problem with Mark? He's protecting me. Like friends should. You don't get to be angry with me. You don't get to say that heart break is even. You broke my heart first. I can't even. If you loved me so much why did you break up with me? What to screw around and 'have fun' with some college girls? To protect me from your impending infidelity. We were doing fine. We would have been fine."

Surprisingly it's Christina who speaks up for Arizona, "I knew you'd been in a foul mood the past couple of weeks. I'm your roommate. Your friend even. I know that all the hurt and whatever has come from Arizona being back. But as your friend you should stop talking about things you don't know about."

"What the hell are you talking about? You don't even know Arizona."

"Arizona and I went to med school together Callie. And as your friend, I'm saying lay off her because you don't know everything that's happened between the last time you saw her and now.

Christina's mouth is next to her ear and their cheeks are touching. Callie can feel the toes of the toes of their shoes touching and that's when she realizes exactly how much she's done. Christina, one of her most loyal confidants, was going toe to toe with her.

She can feel the regret bubbling. Because Christina is right. She doesn't know.

Christina's quietly spoken words make the Latina feel sick to her stomach. But her heart doesn't truly break until she hears Arizona's cracking voice.

"You never let me explain anything. You never gave me a second chance. I thought that if we were meant to be you would've given me at least a chance to make things right. I knew that you might not forgive me right away but I thought you would at least want to talk to me before rejecting me over and over again. You may hate me for what I did to us. But I could never truly hate you."

With that Arizona walked down the hall, trailing after Christina.

Arizona rolls the unlit cigarette between her fingers. Her long blonde hair whips with the wind flowing and stretching with the air currents. Callie just watches as the love of her life sits quietly on the old wooden planks of the docks.

Arizona still essentially looks the same as the last time that Callie saw her, but all the details are different. For one, Arizona looks much more tan and looks like she's put on more than a couple pounds of hard muscle. She's no longer the pale thin girl from the funeral. Her eyes are more grey-blue than the bright, robin's egg blue they had been on those summer days. Her hands are scarred and there's a particularly nasty looking scar that runs from her collarbone down into her shirt.

Arizona is different. And so is Callie.

"I never pegged you for the American Spirit type." The Latina states as she takes a seat next to the blonde on the docks.

The blonde says nothing just glances quickly over at Callie before continuing to gaze at the sun. Callie is content with this reaction. After the things that the Latina has said over the past days, she wouldn't be surprised if she'd earned a slap. But Arizona was Arizona and Callie highly doubted that however angry or hurt the blonde was by her words, that the blonde would ever lay a hand on her.

The way the sun glitters on the water reminds you of the sparkle you once saw in Arizona's eyes. The same blue eyes that now just seem to convey resignedness and tiredness.

The blonde breaks the silence without looking over at Callie,

"You know you weren't the only one with something to lose."

"What?"

"In case it wasn't clear, I put my heart on the line too. All those years ago. My heart was in your hands. Even when I left. I left my heart in your hands."

Callie sighs, "I know. I always knew that. But I've got that irrational hurt side of my brain too."

Arizona chances a glance in Callie's direction, before quickly looking back out onto the water.

"I joined the Marines Callie. That's why I've got an American Sprit in my hands. We used to joke that as long as we were taking drags of American Spirit we would remember why we had gone to a goddamn desert to go to war. I was a flight surgeon. I flew mostly in choppers, but I could fly in any aircraft. It was during med school when I first joined up."

She pauses and gauges Callie's reaction before continuing, "I did it because I didn't want to accidently bump into you. I was avoiding you. I didn't want to be surprised and see you in a med school class or see you show up for my first day at work. So I avoided you by joining the military."

Arizona now shifts so that her shoulders are touching the shoulders of the Latina next to her.

"I learned a lot from the experience. Got a lot of crazy stories to tell and experiences to share. I'd like to think that it changed me. I'd like to think that now that I've seen death and I've seen 'the other side' so to speak that if I found love I'd hold it and never let it go. I'd like to think that I would never again walk away from the love of my life if it came down to it."

The blonde forces a hollow laugh as she continues,

"You know I spent all that time serving in the military trying to avoid you, but jumped at the chance to work at the same hospital as you after over a decade apart. I still don't know why I chose to work at the same hospital as you. But I guess my heart knows better than my head. You have to know Calliope, that now that I've got you, you can kick and scream and punch and push me away all you'd like but you're stuck with me. You're my soul mate, my everything. I'm going to love you longer than eternity, beyond the end, further than the end of time."

Callie almost screams out loud when Arizona says, word for word exactly what the blonde had told her so many years ago. She almost can't believe that Arizona would remember those words. If she didn't understand before, now she understands exactly how much she means to the blonde.

"If it's meant to be, it will happen." Callie responds as she threads her fingers through Arizona's. It may not be everything all at once. But in this moment, it is enough.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

They were re-learning how to interact with each other. Sometimes they were oddly formal, referring to each other as Dr. Robbins and Dr. Torres and talking to each other only about the patient at hand. Other times they slipped back into their old routine of being friends.

It was an odd limbo to be in. Somewhere better than the passion and hate stemming from a broken heart, but nowhere near ready to be together again. They weren't dating yet. Callie had to keep reminding herself that she had no claim no right to be jealous over Arizona. They weren't together. Just in love. No big deal.

Although with the way that girl was hanging all over Arizona you wouldn't know that Arizona was in love.

Callie breathed in deeply, bringing the cool glass of the beer bottle to her face as though it could cool off her rapidly rising temperature and temper.

Instead, Callie ordered a scotch and savored the sweet burn of the alcohol trickling down her throat. Her eyes focused straight ahead across the bar at Arizona.

"Love cuts your right open doesn't it? Every relationship does."

"What are you talking about Christina?"

"I'm talking about how you wish you were that pretty Asian girl flirting with Robbins, but instead you're sitting here trying to pretend to be nonchalant about it all."

"Do you think it's possible to make things work even after you've had your heart broken?"

"You're asking the wrong person for this one. My fiancé ran away from me on the wedding day remember that?"

"Right."

"But, as I was saying I think every relationship you have leaves you with a huge gash. Some heal better than others, some heal completely, others don't heal at all. For you, that's Robbins."

"You just compared Arizona to a gash."

"You're never gonna be able to forget about her, no matter how much time passes. You're never going to love someone else like that. Your paths collided again after over a decade apart. If that's not meant to be, I don't know what is."

"This coming from the most cynical person I know."

"That's why you should believe it all the more, Callie. I don't say this kind of sappy shit every day. As much as I would find it entertaining to watch you slowly work your way up to rage as that flirtatious girl gets closer and closer to Robbins, I have Owen waiting for me at home."

"Yeah."

"I won't be at the apartment tonight so if you want to, you know…"

"Goodbye Christina."

"Bye!"

Callie watched as the girl across the bar leaned in to tell Arizona something and Arizona threw her head backwards in laughter.

Something inside her felt like it was being wound tighter and tighter. When the girl's hand made its way onto Arizona's leg, and her mouth right on Arizona's ear; that something inside Callie, snapped.

She stood abruptly, threw down whatever cash she had onto the bar counter before draining her glass of alcohol and slamming it down on the bar.

She was out the door and halfway down the street, rain pouring down on her head, before she realized that there was a set of footsteps following her. Footsteps she would know anywhere.

"Arizona."

"Calliope"

The brunette sighed as she pivoted in her spot to face the blonde.

"I just can't do this Ari. I can't watch you not be with me." Callie ran her fingers through her now soaked hair.

"So then just be with me." Blue eyes sparkled back at her dull brown ones, speaking as though it were that clear cut and easy, as though it was obvious.

"It isn't that simple."

"It is." Arizona stepped forward bringing herself into Callie's personal space.

Callie breathed in, smelling the rain, smelling Arizona's perfume, "Arizona, I broke your heart and you broke mine. And that may have been ages ago but that hurt, that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I can't make it go away."

"Maybe you should try one date with me. And if that sinking feeling doesn't go away then–"

"I'm fucking scared. I'm afraid that we're going to end up like we did twelve years ago, yelling each other into a tense silence. You came to town and- " Callie paused and raised her eyes to the sky and her hands to her head trying desperately to push back the instinct to kiss Arizona senseless and focus on the speech she was supposed to be giving.

"I feel like I've lost control again. That scares me more than anything because – Ari, ever since I met you, you've held my heart in your hands. Even when we were apart you still had that piece of me. What happens if we can't make it work a second time? I don't think I coul–"

Arizona interrupted Callie's speech, pressing her lips to the brunette's forcefully but pulled away before things got too heated.

Callie felt Arizona's warm hands burning into the skin on her face where Arizona was gripping her tightly as though she would slip away.

She could feel the pads of Arizona's fingers pressed into the hard bone of her cheek. She could feel the cold of the rain and the heat radiating off of Arizona's equally wet body. She could feel the tip of Arizona's right boot where it's constant pressure against her own booted foot was keeping her grounded.

She could feel everything again.

"We can do this. We can. You've always held my heart in your hands too. Life is short and we've wasted so much time being apart and being stubborn. But Callie, we've both grown up. Even if we still act like kids sometimes. It will be different this time. I'm not going anywhere and you're not going anywhere. We're going to make this work. I promise."

"Friday."

Arizona cocked her head to the side in that adorably confused way, "Calliope?"

"Go on a date with me on Friday. It'll be our first real date."

"We never did go on one of those did we?"

"Unless you count that hike on the first day."

"I would love to go on a date with you Calliope."

Callie wrapped her arms around the blonde pulling Arizona into a tight hug. The two women stay embraced like that in light, misty rain for what seemed like forever. Arizona's blonde head leaning into Callie's shoulder, the blonde's arms wrapped around Callie's waist.

It all felt so familiar, so much like home, and so much like a new hello, a new beginning, a second chance.


End file.
